A Saskatchewan Conservative MP has publicly apologized after a 16-year-old videotape surfaced of the then-provincial Tory organizer making a derogatory remark about "homosexual faggots."

Conservative Member of Parliament Tom Lukiwski arrives to speak to journalists in the foyer of the House of Commons on Parliament Hill today. (April 3, 2008)

By:tonda maccharlesottawa bureau, Published on Fri Apr 04 2008

OTTAWA–A Saskatchewan Conservative MP has publicly apologized after a 16-year-old videotape surfaced of the then-provincial Tory organizer making a derogatory remark about "homosexual faggots."

An abject and clearly embarrassed Tom Lukiwski, MP for Regina-Lumsden-Lake Centre, said he was "ashamed for the comments," but refused to answer whether he would step aside as parliamentary secretary to government House leader Peter Van Loan in the face of calls to do so from the federal and provincial NDP.

When a New Democrat MP detailed the remarks in the Commons, a sombre Van Loan said "the comments do sound distressing and inappropriate and they will have due attention."

Van Loan later said that Lukiwski has "made an unequivocal apology for those comments and indicated clearly that he does not hold those views. We welcome that quick and unequivocal apology and consider the matter is now closed."

Prime Minister Stephen Harper was in Bucharest when the news broke mid-afternoon yesterday, and not available for comment.

The video captures a group of party workers including Brad Wall, now premier of Saskatchewan, and Senator Eric Berntson. It was shot on the night of a leaders' debate during the 1991 provincial election campaign at party headquarters. Some workers are drinking. There is a lot of profanity. Lukiwski, who was a 40-year-old Tory organizer at the time, appears on screen saying "I may be old, but I'm f---ing A, eh."

An unidentified man says: "And who is this A person?" to which Lukiwski replies: "Well, let me put it to you this way. There's A's and there's B's. The A's are guys like me, the B's are homosexual faggots with dirt on their fingernails that transmit diseases."

The tape also captured images of Wall, whose office yesterday distanced him from Lukiwski, saying he was nowhere around Lukiwski at that point in the filming.

Wall apologized for his comments that appear to make fun of the Ukrainian heritage of former Saskatchewan premier Roy Romanow, who defeated the provincial Tories in the November 1991 election.

"It just never was then, and neither would it ever be, in any way an attempt to slight any group," Wall said.

On the videotape, Wall, who jokes about being "filmed for posterity," does a mock interview with a Ukrainian accent, questioning how Romanow "walks upright with his head so far up his ass."

At a news conference in Regina yesterday, Saskatchewan deputy NDP leader Pat Atkinson unveiled a transcript and the videotape containing what she called "hateful" and "disturbing" comments, the worst of which she said are Lukiwski's "homophobic" remarks.

The tape, in a camera case, was left at the Opposition offices vacated after Wall's Saskatchewan Party defeated the NDP in last fall's provincial election. It was recently discovered, Atkinson said.

Within half an hour in the Commons, B.C. New Democrat MP Bill Siksay, who is gay, called on the government to censure Lukiwski and take "all appropriate action."

Outside the Commons, Siksay (Burnaby-Douglas) told reporters the comments were "unconscionable" and demanded that Lukiwski apologize to all gays and other Canadians he offended.

"I don't think that filming a party in a political party office is necessarily a private situation," said Siksay. "I think people knew what they were doing. I think clearly they knew they were being videotaped. I think it's very, very serious."

NDP Leader Jack Layton suggested Harper follow the "precedent" he set in ejecting Lukiwski's predecessor in the riding. Harper, then leader of the Canadian Alliance, ousted MP Larry Spencer from the caucus in 2003 when Spencer suggested homosexuality should be made illegal again.

Before he emerged to make a statement yesterday, Lukiwski telephoned Siksay and apologized to him personally.

When he appeared before reporters, Lukiwski was abject.

"I just want to publicly say that I am truly, truly sorry. I'm ashamed for the comments. If I could take those comments back, I would. I would give anything in the world to take those comments back. They do not reflect the type of person that I am. I do not believe in the type of comments that I made. I do not believe the context behind those comments. I can only say that on behalf of myself, my family, my children, I am sorry. I am ashamed and I wish those comments were never made.

"I have no prejudice against gay people whatsoever. I mean those comments do not reflect the type of person I am and I'm very, very sorry."

The Liberal party issued what it called Lukiwski's "career lowlights," noting he was sued for libel by former Liberal Treasury Board president Reg Alcock when he wrongly claimed Alcock gave his former campaign manager a Canadian Wheat Board job. The suit was settled out of court, and Lukiwski apologized in a statement.

He was among the majority of Conservative MPs who opposed same-sex marriage.

- With files from The Canadian Press

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